Capital Region International Airport , formerly Lansing Capital City Airport, is a public, Class C airport located northwest of downtown

Lansing Lansing () is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is mostly in Ingham County, although portions of the city extend west into Eaton County and north into Clinton County. The 2020 census placed the city's population at 112,644, maki ...

in a portion of DeWitt Township,

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...

that has been annexed to the City of Lansing via Public Act 425. Small areas of the airport are located in Watertown Township, and Delta Township. It is included in the

Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic ...

(FAA)

National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems The National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems (NPIAS) is an inventory of U.S. aviation infrastructure assets. NPIAS was developed and now maintained by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). It identifies existing and proposed airports tha ...

for 2017–2021, in which it is categorized as a non-hub primary commercial service facility. The airport is owned and operated by the Capital Region Airport Authority, an eight-member governing board. Three members represent Ingham County and three members represent the City of Lansing. Two

ex officio member An ''ex officio'' member is a member of a body (notably a board, committee, council) who is part of it by virtue of holding another office. The term '' ex officio'' is Latin, meaning literally 'from the office', and the sense intended is 'by right ...

s represent Eaton County and

Clinton County Clinton County may refer to: *Counties named for George Clinton, first and third Governor of New York, and later the fourth Vice President of the United States: **Clinton County, New York **Clinton County, Ohio *Counties named for DeWitt Clinton, s ...

.About CRAA
FlyLansing.com. Retrieved March 16, 2011 The Airport Authority also oversees nearby Jewett Field (TEW) in Mason.Ingham County
Capital Region International Airport Authority
, Ingham.org. Retrieved July 6, 2012 The Airport Authority reported 180,385 scheduled passengers and 8,085 charter passengers flew to or from the airport in 2021.

History

Early 1900s

The first recorded flight in Lansing took place on October 15, 1911 at an old racecourse (later the Red Cedar Golf Course). More than 20,000 spectators watched pilot Jimmy Ward perform stunts in the ''Shooting Star'', his Curtiss biplane. In 1919, the first airfield in Lansing opened approximately west of downtown. The second airfield opened the following year south of downtown. From 1922 to 1926, Lansing's airport was ''Creyts Field'', located west of the current airport. The field was operated by

Chamber of commerce A chamber of commerce, or board of trade, is a form of business network. For example, a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to ...

Secretary Charley Davis. In 1925, Lt Harry Warner arrived in Lansing to help Davis and others select the current site for Capital City Airport. The selected site was a state-owned hayfield and marsh (known as Chandler's Marsh), originally planned to be a boys' vocational school. The first planes flew from the site northwest of Lansing on May 1, 1926. The formal dedication of Capital City Airport was held on the weekend of July 14–15, 1928, and was attended by 70,000 people, including

arctic explorer Arctic exploration is the physical exploration of the Arctic region of the Earth. It refers to the historical period during which mankind has explored the region north of the Arctic Circle. Historical records suggest that humankind have explored ...

George Hubert Wilkins and aviator Carl Eielson. Pilots from

Selfridge Field Selfridge Air National Guard Base or Selfridge ANGB is an Air National Guard installation located in Harrison Township, Michigan, near Mount Clemens. Selfridge Field was one of thirty-two Air Service training camps established after the Unit ...

and members of the

Michigan National Guard The Michigan National Guard consists of the Michigan Army National Guard and the Michigan Air National Guard. The State adjutant general is Major general Paul D. Rogers. Units Michigan Army National Guard units include: * Recruiting Office: Ba ...

107th Observation Squadron performed in an exhibition

air show An air show (or airshow, air fair, air tattoo) is a public event where aircraft are exhibited. They often include aerobatics demonstrations, without they are called "static air shows" with aircraft parked on the ground. The largest air show ...

. A

Stinson Detroiter The Stinson Detroiter was a six-seat cabin airliner for passengers or freight designed and built by the Stinson Aircraft Syndicate, later the ''Stinson Aircraft Corporation''. Two distinct designs used the Detroiter name, a biplane and a monopla ...

plane arrived at the airport with Lansing's first

air mail Airmail (or air mail) is a mail transport service branded and sold on the basis of at least one leg of its journey being by air. Airmail items typically arrive more quickly than surface mail, and usually cost more to send. Airmail may be th ...

delivery on July 5, 1928. Mayor Laird J. Troyer, Chamber of Commerce President Alton J. Hager, and airport committee chairman Clyde B. Smith, among others, were present to witness the plane's arrival. Regular cargo service from Capital City Airport began on July 17, 1928, via Transamerican Airlines. That day pilot C.V. Pickup departed with five sacks of mail en route to New York City. Lansing postmaster Walter G. Rogers was among those present to witness the event. In 1929, J.D. Foster completed construction on a 60-by-120-foot, aircraft

hangar A hangar is a building or structure designed to hold aircraft or spacecraft. Hangars are built of metal, wood, or concrete. The word ''hangar'' comes from Middle French ''hanghart'' ("enclosure near a house"), of Germanic origin, from Frankish ...

, the first building in what would become known as the Francis Aviation Complex at Capital City Airport. By the end of the year,

fixed-base operator A fixed-base operator (FBO) is an organization granted the right by an airport to operate at the airport and provide aeronautical services such as fueling, hangaring, tie-down and parking, aircraft rental, aircraft maintenance, flight instructio ...

s Foster Airways, SKF Air Service, Inc., and Wolverine Flying Service, Ltd. had constructed hangars at the airport. Passenger service commenced on September 1, 1929, by Kohler Aviation Corp. to Detroit and

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee i ...

. By 1934, Pennsylvania Airlines and Transport was providing air mail and passenger service to Detroit,

Grand Rapids Grand Rapids is a city and county seat of Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 198,917 which ranks it as the second most-populated city in the state after Detroit. Grand Rapids is the ...

, Muskegon, and across

Lake Michigan Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the east, its basin is conjoined with that o ...

. The Foster Hangar housed a flight school operated by Harvey Hughes from 1934 to 1936. In the late 1930s, Lansing aviator Lt Arthur J. Davis operated Michigan Airways, Inc. out of the hangar. During World War II, Francis Aviation and Hughes Flying Service provided ground and flight training to 300 pilots per month as part of the U.S. Government's

Civilian Pilot Training Program The Civilian Pilot Training Program (CPTP) was a flight training program (1938–1944) sponsored by the United States government with the stated purpose of increasing the number of civilian pilots, though having a clear impact on military prepare ...

and War Training Service. The training included three weeks of instruction at

Michigan State College Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. I ...

and continued at Capital City Airport. In 1940, the original

terminal Terminal may refer to: Computing Hardware * Terminal (electronics), a device for joining electrical circuits together * Terminal (telecommunication), a device communicating over a line * Computer terminal, a set of primary input and output devi ...

building, a 100-by-100-foot concrete hangar, and an adjoining office wing at the west end of the airport were built. The airport acquired next to the north side of the airport, and

runway According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and takeoff of aircraft". Runways may be a man-made surface (often asphalt, concrete ...

06/24 was extended by . Pennsylvania Central Airlines began

Douglas DC-3 The Douglas DC-3 is a propeller-driven airliner manufactured by Douglas Aircraft Company, which had a lasting effect on the airline industry in the 1930s to 1940s and World War II. It was developed as a larger, improved 14-bed sleeper versi ...

service on June 5, 1940. The same year, the airport unsuccessfully bid for an $8.4 million ''Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory'' of the

National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) was a United States federal agency founded on March 3, 1915, to undertake, promote, and institutionalize aeronautical research. On October 1, 1958, the agency was dissolved and its assets ...

1950s–1970s

Demand for air service led to the building of the current terminal building in 1959. The terminal has had several renovations and additions since then. In April 1967, a new $38,000 observation room opened, where viewers can hear radio communications between pilots and the

control tower Air traffic control (ATC) is a service provided by ground-based air traffic controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and through a given section of controlled airspace, and can provide advisory services to aircraft in non-controlled air ...

through a loud speaker. In the early 1960s,

Lansing Community College Lansing Community College is a public community college with its main campus in Lansing, Michigan. Founded in 1957, the college's main campus is located on an urban, site in downtown Lansing spanning seven city blocks approximately two bloc ...

leased the Francis Aviation Complex at Capital City Airport. The college moved to a new facility near the airport terminal in 1974. In March 1960, Francis Aviation Co. built two circular (roundtable) airport hangars costing $400,000 at the airport, believed to be the world's first.Lansing airport to get first circle hangars
''Owosso Argus-Press'', Google News, March 11, 1960. Retrieved March 5, 2013 In 1963, Capital City Airport served over 100,000 passengers for the first time; by 1968, airport usage had surpassed 250,000 passengers. That April, 1968 presidential candidate and Senator Robert F. Kennedy landed at Capital City Airport. Later that year, presidential candidate and Senator

George McGovern George Stanley McGovern (July 19, 1922 – October 21, 2012) was an American historian and South Dakota politician who was a U.S. representative and three-term U.S. senator, and the Democratic Party presidential nominee in the 1972 pr ...

also landed at the airport.George McGovern at the Capital City Airport
, Capital Area District Library, cadl.org. Retrieved March 6, 2011 In 1970, the Capital Region Airport Authority was created pursuant to Michigan Public Act Number 73.1970 PA 73
§15 (Capital city airport; transfer)
/ref> The following year, jurisdiction of Capital City Airport was transferred from the State of

to the Airport Authority. The airport's first surveillance radar was installed in 1973. By 1977, the

approach lighting system An approach lighting system (ALS) is a lighting system installed on the approach end of an airport runway and consisting of a series of lightbars, strobe lights, or a combination of the two that extends outward from the runway end. ALS usually ...

and

instrument landing system In aviation, the instrument landing system (ILS) is a precision radio navigation system that provides short-range guidance to aircraft to allow them to approach a runway at night or in bad weather. In its original form, it allows an aircraft to ...

for runway 10R were activated. The same year, Mason Jewett Field was purchased as a reliever airfield for Capital City Airport. A Michigan historical marker was erected at the terminal for local aviator

Philip Orin Parmelee Philip Orin Parmelee (March 8, 1887 – June 1, 1912) was an American aviation pioneer trained by the Wright brothers and credited with several early world aviation records and "firsts" in flight. He turned a keen interest in small engines into ...

in 1978. From 1978 to 1991

and

aerial photography Aerial photography (or airborne imagery) is the taking of photographs from an aircraft or other airborne platforms. When taking motion pictures, it is also known as aerial videography. Platforms for aerial photography include fixed-wing airc ...

company White Star Photography purchased and operated from the Francis Aviation Complex.

1980s–1990s

In 1980, a airport fire station was built. An

air carrier An airline is a company that provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines use aircraft to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for codeshare agreements, in which ...

terminal apron reconstruction followed in 1982. Between 1988 and 1990, runway 14/32 was decommissioned and became

taxiway A taxiway is a path for aircraft at an airport connecting runways with aprons, hangars, terminals and other facilities. They mostly have a hard surface such as asphalt or concrete, although smaller general aviation airports sometimes use gravel ...

F. In January 1987,

United Airlines United Airlines, Inc. (commonly referred to as United), is a major American airline headquartered at the Willis Tower in Chicago, Illinois.

announced it was ending flights between Chicago

O'Hare International Airport Chicago O'Hare International Airport , sometimes referred to as, Chicago O'Hare, or simply O'Hare, is the main international airport serving Chicago, Illinois, located on the city's Northwest Side, approximately northwest of the Loop busines ...

(ORD) and Lansing on April 5 after nearly 56 years of service.

United Express United Express is the brand name for the regional branch of United Airlines, under which six individually owned regional airlines operate short- and medium-haul feeder flights. On October 1, 2010, UAL Corporation and Continental Airlines merged t ...

, operated by

Air Wisconsin Air Wisconsin Airlines is a regional airline based at Appleton International Airport in the town of Greenville, Wisconsin near Appleton. Air Wisconsin originally operated as one of the original United Express partners in 1985, and operated ...

, resumed the service to Chicago. In 1989, Thomas Schmidt was hired as Airport Manager, replacing Russ Brown, and airport usage surpassed 500,000 passengers for the first time. During the 1990s, the Francis Aviation Complex was demolished for airport expansion and compliance with

(FAA) regulations.

UPS Airlines UPS Airlines is a major American cargo airline based in Louisville, Kentucky. The second-largest cargo airline worldwide ( in terms of freight volume flown), UPS Airlines flies to 815 destinations worldwide. A wholly owned subsidiary of UPS (Unit ...

began cargo service from Lansing in 1990. In 1992, a major renovation of the terminal building, designed by Greiner, Inc., included the addition of to the facility, began. The following year the public parking lot was reconstructed and a new

airport surveillance radar An airport surveillance radar (ASR) is a radar system used at airports to detect and display the presence and position of aircraft in the ''terminal area'', the airspace around airports. It is the main air traffic control system for the airspace ...

(ASR-9) was activated. President

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and again ...

landed at the airport aboard

Air Force One Air Force One is the official air traffic control designated call sign for a United States Air Force aircraft carrying the president of the United States. In common parlance, the term is used to denote U.S. Air Force aircraft modified and us ...

on July 22, 1999 to hold a forum on Medicare at Lansing Community College.Pickler, Nedra. Associated Press
Clinton in Lansing Today to Discuss Medicare
''Owosso Argus-Press'', Google News, July 22, 1999. Retrieved April 20, 2010

2000s

Flight reductions

During the 2000s, Lansing saw flights reduced from 35 to 12 a day.Epstein, Victor. Associated Press
New low-cost airline targets smaller markets
''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...

'', May 27, 2009 In May 2000

American Eagle Airlines Envoy Air Inc. is an American regional airline headquartered in Irving, Texas, in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The airline is a wholly owned subsidiary of the American Airlines Group and it is paid by fellow group member American Airline ...

ended its flights to

Chicago–O'Hare Chicago O'Hare International Airport , sometimes referred to as, Chicago O'Hare, or simply O'Hare, is the main international airport serving Chicago, Illinois, located on the city's Northwest Side, approximately northwest of the Loop busines ...

, eliminating five daily flights and 23 positions at the Lansing airport.American Eagle Discontinues Lansing Service
, thetracon.com, March 7, 2000 Chicago Express/ATA Connection Airlines ended service from Lansing to

Midway International Airport Chicago Midway International Airport , typically referred to as Midway Airport, Chicago Midway, or simply Midway, is a major commercial airport on the Southwest side of Chicago, Illinois, located approximately 12 miles (19 km) from the Lo ...

(MDW) in 2001. In October 2003

US Airways US Airways (formerly USAir) was a major United States airline that operated from 1937 until its merger with American Airlines in 2015. It was originally founded in Pittsburgh as a mail delivery airline called All American Aviation, which soon ...

ended daily flights to its

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

hub.Capital Region Airport Authority
Proposal Under the Small Community Air Service Development Program Docket DOT-OST-2010-0124
regulations.gov, August 27, 2010. Retrieved July 13, 2011

Continental Airlines Continental Airlines, simply known as Continental, was a major United States airline founded in 1934 and eventually headquartered in Houston, Texas. It had ownership interests and brand partnerships with several carriers. Continental started ...

suspended its daily flights to

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the United States, U.S. U.S. state, state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along ...

effective January 2004.Associated Press
Capital City Airport loses Continental as carrier
''

'', January 19, 2004 In 2005

Midwest Connect Midwest Connect was the brand name for the regional airline service of Midwest Airlines, rather than a certificated airline carrier. Skyway Airlines was the sole operator of Midwest Connect since its inception in 1989, until SkyWest Airlines began ...

ended service to

(MKE).Ingham County Board of Commissioners
County Services Minutes
ingham.org, March 21, 2006 In September 2007 Continental Airlines announced three daily flights from Lansing to the airline's hub in Cleveland to begin in May 2008;Press Release
Continental Airlines to Inaugurate Services at Lansing with New Nonstop Flights to Cleveland Hub
September 14, 2007, web.archive.org ''flylansing.com'' archived on October 23, 2010. Retrieved October 1, 2012 however, rising fuel costs and the delay of terminal expansion plans at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) caused Continental to suspend these flights before they began.Grant, Alison
Hopkins Expansion Curtailed As Continental Hits Bumpy Times
''

The Plain Dealer ''The Plain Dealer'' is the major newspaper of Cleveland, Ohio, United States. In fall 2019, it ranked 23rd in U.S. newspaper circulation, a significant drop since March 2013, when its circulation ranked 17th daily and 15th on Sunday. As of M ...

'', May 8, 2008

Delta Air Lines Delta Air Lines, Inc., typically referred to as Delta, is one of the major airlines of the United States and a legacy carrier. One of the world's oldest airlines in operation, Delta is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline, along ...

announced in July 2008 that it was ending its three daily non-stop flights (via Comair) from Lansing to

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line w ...

(CVG) effective September 1, eliminating 26 jobs at Lansing's airport. Delta also offered daily non-stop flights (via

Atlantic Southeast Airlines Atlantic Southeast Airlines (ASA) was a regional U.S. airline based in the A-Tech Center in College Park, Georgia, flying to 144 destinations as a Delta Connection carrier on behalf of Delta Air Lines via a code sharing agreement and, as o ...

) from Lansing to

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...

from 2005 to 2007.Polzin, Kevin
Delta Ending Service to Lansing, Mich.
'' Lansing State Journal'', ''USA Today'', July 8, 2008. Retrieved September 16, 2009

Low-cost airlines

Several low-cost carriers had flights at Lansing with varying success. In July 2003,

Allegiant Air Allegiant Air (usually shortened to Allegiant) is an ultra low-cost U.S. carrier that operates scheduled and charter flights. It is a major air carrier, the fourteenth-largest commercial airline in North America. Allegiant was founded in 1 ...

began nonstop flights from Lansing to

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Veg ...

McCarran International Airport Harry Reid International Airport is an international airport in Paradise, Nevada, and is the main government airport for public use in the Las Vegas Valley, a metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Nevada, about south of Downtown Las Vegas. ...

(LAS). The addition of the low-cost carrier enabled the average fare from Lansing to drop by 35%. Over the next few years, Allegiant added flights to Orlando/Sanford (SFB) – the airline's second market from Orlando–Sanford – in May 2005 and St. Petersburg-Clearwater (PIE) in December 2006. In November 2008 Allegiant announced that it would depart Lansing's airport and move to nearby Grand Rapids Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR) effective January 2009, citing reduced competition from Detroit Metro Airport and financial incentives as the reasons for the move.Stephenson, John W
Low-Price Airline Allegiant Moving From Lansing to Grand Rapids Airport
'' Muskegon Chronicle'', mlive.com, November 10, 2008 In July 2004 Independence Air began nonstop flights from Lansing to Washington, D.C.'s

Dulles International Airport Washington Dulles International Airport , typically referred to as Dulles International Airport, Dulles Airport, Washington Dulles, or simply Dulles ( ), is an international airport in the Eastern United States, located in Loudoun County and F ...

(IAD).New Airline for Capital City Airport
, WILX.com, June 14, 2004

Northwest Airlines Northwest Airlines Corp. (NWA) was a major American airline founded in 1926 and absorbed into Delta Air Lines, Inc. by a merger. The merger, approved on October 29, 2008, made Delta the largest airline in the world until the American Airlines ...

soon followed with similar flights to Dulles. Up to 11 direct flights a day were offered from Lansing to Washington, D.C. between the two airlines, with some flights as low as $29. Independence Air left the Lansing market in January 2005, citing high fuel prices and heavy competition from Northwest.Stock, Susan
Independence Air Ends Flights to Michigan airport
''Lansing State Journal'', ''USA Today'', November 22, 2004 In June 2005 Northwest moved their Lansing flights from Dulles to

Reagan National Airport Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport , sometimes referred to colloquially as National Airport, Washington National, Reagan National Airport, DCA, Reagan, or simply National, is an international airport in Arlington County, Virginia, across ...

(DCA). By January 2006 Northwest canceled this route, leaving Lansing with no direct flights to Washington, D.C.Murray, Stefanie
Northwest Will End Lansing to D.C. Flights
''Lansing State Journal'', WZZM13.com, November 26, 2005 In March 2009 start-up carrier JetAmerica (previously known as ''Air Azul'') announced direct flights starting in July 2009 between Lansing, Newark, and

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...

.Steele, Jeremy W
Lansing to Add Flights to NYC, D.C. Areas
''Lansing State Journal'', lsj.com, March 13, 2009 However, after delaying the start of flights, the company folded on July 17 without operating a single flight.Associated Press
Jet America Grounded
, WTVG, 13abc.com, July 17, 2009. Retrieved March 16, 2011

International flights

There have been several attempts at establishing international passenger service at the airport. In April 2004, Laker Airways Bahamas Ltd. announced flights from Lansing to the

Bahamas The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to 88% of the a ...

, with an intermediate stop at

Rickenbacker International Airport Rickenbacker International Airport is a civil-military public airport south of downtown Columbus, near Lockbourne in southern Franklin County, Ohio, United States. The south end of the airport extends into Pickaway County. The base was nam ...

(LCK) in

Columbus, Ohio Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, an ...

, to begin that fall.Murray, Stefanie
Airline Plans Lansing-to-Bahamas Flights in Fall
''Lansing State Journal'', Yahoo!, April 2004 In January 2008, Kenny Tours announced non-stop flights from Lansing to

Shannon, Ireland Shannon () or Shannon Town (), named after the river near which it stands, is a town in County Clare, Ireland. It was given town status on 1 January 1982. The town is located just off the N19 road, a spur of the N18/M18 road between Limeric ...

, dubbed the ''Shamrock Express'', to begin in June 2008.Press Release
New non-stop flights to start from Lansing's Capital City Airport to Ireland
January 14, 2008, web.archive.org ''flylansing.com'' archived on October 23, 2010. Retrieved October 1, 2012 In both cases, the service was canceled before flights began. Apple Vacations announced in July 2009 that, starting in December, they would offer weekly seasonal flights to Cancún, Mexico on

USA3000 Airlines Brendan Airways, LLC, doing business as USA3000 Airlines, was a U.S. airline headquartered in Newtown Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. It operated both scheduled and charter service with a fleet of five Airbus A320 aircraft. The airli ...

. These were the first non-stop international passenger flights from Lansing.Press Release
Apple Vacations announces new non-stops from Lansing to Cancun on USA 3000 Airlines
July 1, 2009, web.archive.org ''flylansing.com'' archived on October 23, 2010. Retrieved October 1, 2012

Facility upgrades and closures

In 2005 a extension to runway 10R/28L was completed. By November 2008 a extension to the runway – now – was completed to allow for larger aircraft to use the airport. The $9.9 million project required the temporary closure of nearby DeWitt Road. In January 2008 Capital Region International Airport was designated as an International

Port of Entry In general, a port of entry (POE) is a place where one may lawfully enter a country. It typically has border security staff and facilities to check passports and visas and to inspect luggage to assure that contraband is not imported. Internat ...

into the United States, with Customs and Border Protection officers on duty to process international passengers and air freight. By May 2009 a new federal inspection station opened in the terminal, capable of processing 200 passengers per hour. In March 2009 the

announced the planned consolidation of radar control for Lansing's airport, as well as that of airports in

and Muskegon, to nearby

Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport is a county-owned public airport in Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo County, Michigan, USA, southeast of Downtown Kalamazoo. The airport is located approximately west of the city of Battle Creek. It is incl ...

in 2013. The cost-saving move will occur upon completion of Kalamazoo Airport's new air traffic control tower ( TRACON). Despite the consolidation, each airport will still maintain its own air traffic control tower. In November 2009

Lockheed Martin The Lockheed Martin Corporation is an American aerospace, arms, defense, information security, and technology corporation with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It ...

, operator of the

flight service station A flight service station (FSS) is an air traffic facility that provides information and services to aircraft pilots before, during, and after flights, but unlike air traffic control (ATC), is not responsible for giving instructions or clearances or ...

located at Capital Region International Airport, announced the closing of the service station, effective February 2010. The Lansing station was one of 13 to close nationwide and provided 25 jobs and $120,000 in annual rent to the airport.

2010s

Domestic flights

In October 2010 the airport was awarded a U.S. Department of Transportation Small Community Air Service Development grant, worth $750,000, to help reestablish nonstop flights from Lansing to Washington, D.C. These grants are designed to promote air service development from smaller markets. Washington, D.C. is the number one end destination from Lansing, according to the Capital Region Airport Authority.

United States Department of Transportation The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT or DOT) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It is headed by the secretary of transportation, who reports directly to the President of the United States and ...

Small Community Air Service Development Program Fiscal Year 2010 Grant Selections
, dot.gov. Retrieved October 30, 2010 In December Sun Country Airlines announced that it would offer non-stop flights from Lansing to

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origin ...

(MSP) and Washington–Reagan (DCA) beginning in April 2011. The announcement followed the airline being awarded two landing slots at the Washington, D.C. airport by the

USDOT The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT or DOT) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It is headed by the secretary of transportation, who reports directly to the President of the United States and ...

. The Minneapolis route is expected to reduce the fares from Lansing-Minneapolis an average of 34%, and the Washington, D.C. flights reduced by an average of 21%.Press Release
Sun Country Airlines Wins Non-Stop Slots For New Air Service From Lansing To Reagan Washington D.C. National (DCA)
December 10, 2010, web.archive.org ''flylansing.com'' archived on December 15, 2010. Retrieved October 1, 2012 In July 2015 Sun Country announced that Minneapolis and Washington, D.C. flights would be discontinued in October.

American Airlines American Airlines is a major US-based airline headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. It is the largest airline in the world when measured by fleet size, scheduled passengers carried, and revenue passeng ...

resumed the Washington, D.C. flights in July 2016, continuing a slot exemption that Sun Country previously held at Washington–Reagan. The slot exemption, set to expire in October 2019, was extended through October 2023. American Airlines also resumed Chicago flights in August 2016 after a 16-year absence from Lansing.

again operated twice-weekly flights to Orlando/Sanford (SFB) from November 2012 through January 2015. President

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...

landed at the airport aboard

on February 7, 2014, to sign the 2014 U.S. Farm Bill at

Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It ...

International flights

In June 2010 Apple Vacations and

Sun Country Airlines Sun Country Airlines is an American Low-cost carrier, ultra-low-cost passenger airline, passenger and cargo airline, and the List of largest airlines in North America, eleventh largest in the US by passengers carried. Based at Minneapolis–Sai ...

announced seasonal flights to Cancún, Mexico (CUN/MMUN); Montego Bay, Jamaica (MBJ/MKJS); Fort Myers (RSW);

Orlando Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures re ...

(MCO); and

(LAS) beginning in December.Press Release
Apple Vacations & Sun Country Airlines Announce New Air Service From Lansing
June 30, 2010, web.archive.org ''flylansing.com'' archived on December 15, 2010. Retrieved October 1, 2012 In May 2011 Apple Vacations and Sun Country Airlines announced seasonal weekly flights to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic (PUJ/MDPC) beginning in December and discontinued flights to Fort Myers and Las Vegas (the latter would resume in December 2012). In June 2012 similar seasonal flights to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico (PVR/MMPR) were announced starting in February and Montego Bay flights were discontinued. In May 2013 Apple Vacations announced that

Frontier Airlines Frontier Airlines is a major ultra-low-cost U.S. airline headquartered in Denver, Colorado. It operates flights to over 100 destinations throughout the United States and 31 international destinations, and employs more than 3,000 staff. The ca ...

will operate their seasonal international flights from Lansing, beginning in January 2014. The next year

Aeroméxico Aerovías de México, S.A. de C.V. () operating as Aeroméxico (; stylized as AM), is the flag carrier airline of Mexico, based in Mexico City. It operates scheduled services to more than 90 destinations in Mexico; North, South and Central Ame ...

and Interjet operated seasonal flights to Cancún and Puerto Vallarta.

Sunwing Airlines Sunwing Airlines Inc. is a Canadian low-cost airline headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. Sunwing Airlines offers scheduled and charter services from Canada and the United States to destinations within the United States, Mexico, the Caribbean, ...

resumed seasonal flights to Cancún in December 2015. Miami Air International and Swift Air resumed seasonal flights to Cancún and Punta Cana in December 2016 and 2017 respectively. Apple Vacations resumed flights to Cancún and Punta Cana, and add Montego Bay in December 2018.

Facility upgrades

Concierge A concierge () is an employee of a multi-tenant building, such as a hotel or apartment building, who receives guests. The concept has been applied more generally to other hospitality settings and to personal concierges who manage the errands of ...

Travel Center opened at the airport in May 2010, offering the ability to book airline tickets, cruises, tours, car rentals, and hotel rooms.Press Release
Fly Lansing Concierge Travel Center Opens at the Capital Region International Airport
May 13, 2010, web.archive.org ''flylansing.com'' archived on December 15, 2010. Retrieved October 1, 2012 In January 2011 the Airport Authority, city of Lansing, and DeWitt Township announced a 50-year 425 land, tax, and services agreement at the airport between the city and township. In July 2011

Eastern Michigan University Eastern Michigan University (EMU, Eastern Michigan or simply Eastern), is a public research university in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Founded in 1849 as Michigan State Normal School, the school was the fourth normal school established in the United Sta ...

announced that its flight-training program would begin operating out of the Lansing airport in September, coinciding with the elimination of Lansing Community College's aviation flight program.Larcom, Geoff
Eastern Michigan University and Eagle Flight Centre to begin flight training in the Lansing community
, ''Eastern Michigan University'' Press Release, emich.edu, July 6, 2011. Retrieved July 7, 2011 The

Transportation Security Administration The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that has authority over the security of transportation systems within, and connecting to the United States. It was created ...

(TSA) installed a full-body

millimeter wave scanner A millimeter wave scanner is a whole-body imaging device used for detecting objects concealed underneath a person’s clothing using a form of electromagnetic radiation. Typical uses for this technology include detection of items for commercial ...

at the airport in October. The

TSA The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that has authority over the security of transportation systems within, and connecting to the United States. It was created ...

began offering pre-check clearance at the airport in April 2015.

2020s

Airline startup Avelo Airlines launched flights from Lansing to Orlando in October 2022. The airline initially operated the route two times per week. The route was launched alongside a nearly-identical route to

Kalamazoo Kalamazoo ( ) is a city in the southwest region of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Kalamazoo County. At the 2010 census, Kalamazoo had a population of 74,262. Kalamazoo is the major city of the Kalamazoo-Portage Metropo ...

. Lansing is part of Avelo's plan to connect unique city pairs in underserved markets, especially focusing on "small hometown airports." The airline used

Boeing 737 The Boeing 737 is a narrow-body aircraft produced by Boeing at its Renton Factory in Washington. Developed to supplement the Boeing 727 on short and thin routes, the twinjet retains the 707 fuselage width and six abreast seating with two u ...

aircraft bigger than the regional jets flown by other carriers.

Current and future development

The Mid-Michigan Business Travel Coalition, Inc., formerly the Lansing Regional Business Travel Trust, was formed by the Airport Authority and the Lansing Regional

in 2004. A coalition of the local business, education, and government community, the Travel Coalition seeks to promote the airport through negotiations with air carriers and area promotions.Stine, Randy J
Advocates for Change
, ''Greater Lansing Business Monthly'', lansingbusinessmonthly.com, July 2008. Retrieved April 1, 2010 In December 2011 the airport, city of Lansing, and DeWitt Township received Next Michigan Development Corporation – or

Aerotropolis An aerotropolis is a metropolitan subregion whose infrastructure, land use, and economy are centered on an airport. It fuses the terms "aero-" (aviation) and "metropolis". Like the traditional metropolis made up of a central city core and its out ...

– designation, designed to encourage economic development within of the airport. The plan includes a 50-year 425 land, tax, and services agreement between the city and township. In October 2018 the airport announced the establishment of a Lansing Brewing Company-themed restaurant and bar, and a new coffee cafe, to open in late 2019.

Master Plan

The airport's most recent Master Plan was released in December 2006. The Plan identifies four major goals for the airport: Retain and expand scheduled passenger flights, increase

charter A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the re ...

operations, increase

corporate A corporation is an organization—usually a group of people or a company—authorized by the state to act as a single entity (a legal entity recognized by private and public law "born out of statute"; a legal person in legal context) and r ...

and

general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations with the exception of commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services ...

activities, and increase

cargo Cargo consists of bulk goods conveyed by water, air, or land. In economics, freight is cargo that is transported at a freight rate for commercial gain. ''Cargo'' was originally a shipload but now covers all types of freight, including tra ...

activities.Master Plan
FlyLansing.com, December 2006 In order to achieve these goals, the airport over the long term endeavors to, among other things: * Construct a new terminal building at the airport * Interim terminal improvements including additional passenger loading bridges, rental car, and

baggage claim 200px, Baggage carousel In airport terminals, a baggage reclaim area is an area where arriving passengers claim checked-in baggage after disembarking from an airline flight. The alternative term baggage claim is used at airports in the US and ...

facilities, and passenger

security screening A security clearance is a status granted to individuals allowing them access to classified information (state or organizational secrets) or to restricted areas, after completion of a thorough background check. The term "security clearance" is ...

improvements * Construct a new

* Construct a new runway and connector taxiway to replace the existing 10L/28R runway * Extend the existing 06/24 runway to * Expand vehicle

parking lot A parking lot (American English) or car park (British English), also known as a car lot, is a cleared area intended for parking vehicles. The term usually refers to an area dedicated only for parking, with a durable or semi-durable surface ...

parking areas * Local road improvements for better access to nearby freeway

I-69 Interstate 69 (I-69) is an Interstate Highway in the United States currently consisting of 10 unconnected segments with an original continuous segment from Indianapolis, Indiana, northeast to the Canadian border in Port Huron, Michigan, at ...

* Expand the existing

business park A business park or office park is a designated area of land in which many office buildings are grouped together. These types of developments are often located in suburban areas where land and building costs are more affordable, and are typically ...

at the airport * Cargo and sort facility expansions * T-hangar and access taxiway expansions for

Port Lansing

The airport received U.S.

Port of entry In general, a port of entry (POE) is a place where one may lawfully enter a country. It typically has border security staff and facilities to check passports and visas and to inspect luggage to assure that contraband is not imported. Internat ...

status in January 2008. The name " Port Lansing" reflects this designation. Capital City Airport was renamed "Capital Region International Airport" to emphasize the Port of Entry status. By June an interim

U.S. Customs The United States Customs Service was the very first federal law enforcement agency of the U.S. federal government. Established on July 31, 1789, it collected import tariffs, performed other selected border security duties, as well as conducted c ...

Inspection Station was established. To promote increased

international commerce International trade is the exchange of capital, goods, and services across international borders or territories because there is a need or want of goods or services. (see: World economy) In most countries, such trade represents a significan ...

in and around the airport, a

Foreign Trade Zone A free-trade zone (FTZ) is a class of special economic zone. It is a geographic area where goods may be imported, stored, handled, manufactured, or reconfigured and re-exported under specific customs regulation and generally not subject to cust ...

was activated, effective August 24, 2009. The Foreign Trade Zone includes of property near the terminal and runways. The trade zone allows goods to be delivered there

duty-free A duty-free shop (or store) is a retail outlet whose goods are exempt from the payment of certain local or national taxes and duties, on the requirement that the goods sold will be sold to travelers who will take them out of the country, w ...

– with reduced, deferred, or eliminated customs fees – providing a competitive advantage to companies doing business within the trade zone. The Port Lansing Global Logistics center, a $6 million cargo warehouse and

cross-docking Cross-docking is a practice in logistics of unloading materials from a manufacturer or mode of transportation directly to the customer or another mode of transportation, with little or no storage in between. This may be done to change the type of ...

facility, opened at the airport in October 2012. According to the Airport Authority, the airport has over of land available for immediate development.

Facilities and operations

Capital Region International Airport covers . Located at the boundary of three counties, most of the airport lies in DeWitt Township (

), with small portions in Watertown Township (Clinton County), Delta Township ( Eaton County), and the city of Lansing ( Ingham County).

Terminal

The current terminal building, constructed in 1959, is and has four floors. The lower two floors are passenger levels. The third floor houses the airport's administrative offices and the fourth floor contains the control tower. The terminal has nine gates, including six

jetways A jet bridge (also termed jetway, jetwalk, airgate, gangway, aerobridge/airbridge, skybridge, finger, airtube, expedited suspended passenger entry system (E-SPES), or its official industry name passenger boarding bridge (PBB)) is an enclosed, ...

. Located in the terminal is the Capital Market, Café Lan, on the first level of the terminal, is a full-service restaurant and grill serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Then in 2019, Capital Brewport opened. This restaurant offers many Lansing-made beers. The Concierge Travel Center offers the ability to book airline tickets, cruises, hotels, tours,

foreign currency exchange A bureau de change (plural bureaux de change, both ) (British English) or currency exchange (American English) is a business where people can exchange one currency for another. Nomenclature Although originally French, the term "bureau de chan ...

, and

limousine A limousine ( or ), or limo () for short, is a large, chauffeur-driven luxury vehicle with a partition between the driver compartment and the passenger compartment. A very long wheelbase luxury sedan (with more than four doors) driven by a pr ...

rentals. The Spartan Pub, on the second level, is a cocktail bar and coffee shop (serving

Biggby Coffee Biggby Coffee (pronounced "big B") is an American coffeehouse chain based in Lansing, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1995 in the city of East Lansing, Michigan by Bob Fish and Mary Roszel as Beaner's Coffee. By the end of the 1990s, th ...

brand) with a deli menu. A business center is located near gate 6, and it provides complimentary

wireless Wireless communication (or just wireless, when the context allows) is the transfer of information between two or more points without the use of an electrical conductor, optical fiber or other continuous guided medium for the transfer. The most ...

( SSID "CRAA") Internet access.Amenities
FlyLansing.com. Retrieved July 5, 2012

Aeronautics

The

Michigan Department of Transportation The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is a constitutional government principal department of the US state of Michigan. The primary purpose of MDOT is to maintain the Michigan State Trunkline Highway System which includes all Interstat ...

Office of Aeronautics is located along the airport's southeast

ramp An inclined plane, also known as a ramp, is a flat supporting surface tilted at an angle from the vertical direction, with one end higher than the other, used as an aid for raising or lowering a load. The inclined plane is one of the six clas ...

.Michigan Department of Transportation
MDOT Aeronautics Location
Michigan.gov. Retrieved August 26, 2010 The Michigan State Transportation Commission meets at the airport monthly; the Michigan Aeronautics Commission meets at the airport bimonthly.Michigan Department of Transportation
MDOT Aeronautics Michigan Aeronautics Commission
Michigan.gov. Retrieved August 26, 2010

Runways

Capital Region International Airport has three runways: * Runway 10R/28L: x , Surface: Asphalt, grooved, ILS equipped * Runway 06/24: x , Surface: Asphalt/Concrete, grooved * Runway 10L/28R: x , Surface: Asphalt

Parking

The airport has both short and long term parking lots, with a combined capacity of 1,500 parking spaces. There is a 15-minute grace period in the short term parking lot. The short term lot is closer to the terminal building, though the long term lot generally provides lower rates.Parking
, FlyLansing.com. Retrieved July 5, 2012 Several area hotels participate in the airport's "Park and Fly" program, in that they offer special room rates and free shuttle service for airport patrons.Park and Fly Hotels
FlyLansing.com. Retrieved July 5, 2012

Aircraft operations

For the 12-month period ending December 31, 2021, the airport had 28,500 total aircraft operations an average of 78 per day, down from 93 per day in 2016. The 2016 figure itself was a 16% decrease from 2012 and a 59% decrease from 2007. 48% of the 2021 aircraft operations were

, 42% were

air taxi An air taxi is a small commercial aircraft that makes short flights on demand. In 2001 air taxi operations were promoted in the United States by a NASA and aerospace industry study on the potential Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS) ...

, 8% were scheduled commercial, and 2% were

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

. There were 62 aircraft based on the field: 31 single-engine and 18 multi-engine airplanes, 10 jets, and 4

helicopters A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forward, backward and laterally. These attribu ...

., ''AirportIQ'', gcr1.com, effective March 3, 2018 Passenger aircraft landings dropped from 12,224 in 2000 to 3,623 in 2009, according to the Capital Region Airport Authority. In March 2012 the average daily seats on domestic departures from the airport was 912, a 24.9% increase from March 2011.Couch, William, Barbara Hansen, and Carey, Anne
Airline Schedule Changes at U.S. Airports
''

'', ''USA Today'', January 9, 2012. Retrieved January 21, 2012

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

The majority of Delta Connection flights serving the airport are on

Bombardier CRJ200 The Bombardier CRJ100 and CRJ200 (previously Canadair CRJ100 and CRJ200) is a regional jet designed and manufactured by Bombardier Aerospace between 1991 and 2006, the first of the Bombardier CRJ family. The ''Canadair Regional Jet'' (CRJ) ...

and

CRJ900 The Bombardier CRJ700, CRJ900, and CRJ1000 are a family of regional jet airliners that were designed and manufactured by Canadian transportation conglomerate Bombardier (formerly Canadair) between 1999 and 2020. Their design was derived from t ...

regional airliner A regional airliner or a feederliner is a small airliner that is designed to fly up to 100 passengers on short-haul flights, usually feeding larger carriers' airline hubs from small markets. This class of airliners is typically flown by the r ...

s. The majority of American Eagle flights serving the airport are on CRJ700 and ERJ 145 regional airliners.

Passenger statistics

The peak year for passenger activity at Capital Region International Airport was in 1997 with 720,365 total passengers. In 1990 the airport had 149,939 total aircraft operations.

Competition

Capital Region International Airport competes with nearby

Detroit Metropolitan Airport Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport , usually called Detroit Metro Airport, Metro Airport, or simply DTW, is a major international airport in the United States covering effective December 30, 2021. in Romulus, Michigan. It is the primary ...

(DTW), Grand Rapids' Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR), and the recent growth of Flint's Bishop International Airport (FNT). In addition, the Michigan Flyer provides motorcoach service roundtrip from nearby East Lansing to Detroit Metro Airport 12 times daily. In 2006, the Capital Region Airport Authority estimated that the airport lost approximately 162,000 passengers that year to nearby competing airports. The airport lost about $53 million in annual revenue as a result of the passenger losses. According to the Airport Authority, a January 2010 leakage study found that 550,000 of the 873,000 airline tickets sold from

mid-Michigan Central Michigan, also called Mid Michigan, is a region in the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. As its name implies, it is the middle area of the Lower Peninsula. Lower Michigan is said to resemble a mitten, and Mid Michigan corr ...

in 2009 were to travelers using other Michigan airports: 45% of travelers flew (originated) from Detroit Metro Airport, 37% from Lansing, 8% from Grand Rapids, and 7.6% from Flint. This resulted in an

economic loss Economic loss is a term of art which refers to financial loss and damage suffered by a person which is seen only on a balance sheet and not as physical injury to person or property. There is a fundamental distinction between pure economic loss and ...

of $108 million to the Mid-Michigan region. The lost revenue to Lansing's airport was approximately $17 million. In March 2009, the '' Lansing State Journal'' cited a 2008

study finding that passengers out of Capital Region International Airport feel the airport is convenient to use, but more than two-thirds of those surveyed also flew from other Michigan airports during the previous year. This is despite 84% of passengers being satisfied with the airline service offered at Lansing's airport, a drop from 93% passenger satisfaction in 2002. The 2008 study noted that 49% of travelers thought Lansing's airport was more expensive to fly out of than Detroit Metropolitan Airport; 13% of travelers thought Lansing was less expensive.Steele, Jeremy W
Lansing Airport Seen As Nice, But Costly
''Lansing State Journal'', WZZM13.com, March 4, 2009. Retrieved September 16, 2010 The same study in 2002 found that 41% of travelers thought that Lansing was more expensive to fly out of than Detroit, and 14% thought Lansing was less expensive.Press Release

January 7, 2003, web.archive.org ''capitalcityairport.com'' archived on February 17, 2003. Retrieved July 14, 2010 ''

Forbes Magazine ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also rep ...

'' in February 2009 ranked Capital Region International Airport tied for the 18th most expensive airport to fly from in the United States, with an average fare of 35¢ per mile. The magazine ranked two other Michigan airports as more expensive.

Cherry Capital Airport Cherry Capital Airport is a public use airport located southeast of the central business district of Traverse City in Grand Traverse County, Michigan, United States. It is owned by Grand Traverse and Leelanau counties.. Federal Aviation Ad ...

(TVC) in Traverse City was ranked second (41¢ per mile), and MBS International Airport (MBS) northwest of

Saginaw Saginaw () is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw and Saginaw County are both in the area known as Mid-Michigan. Saginaw is adjacent to Saginaw Charter Township and considered part of Greater ...

was tied for the 11th most expensive airport in the country (36¢ per mile).Bruner, Jon; Zack O'Malley Greenburg
America's Rip-Off Airports
''Forbes'', ''Forbes'', February 16, 2009. Retrieved September 4, 2009 An April 2011, a ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' study determined that the average fare from Capital Region International Airport was overpriced by $117. The

regression analysis In statistical modeling, regression analysis is a set of statistical processes for estimating the relationships between a dependent variable (often called the 'outcome' or 'response' variable, or a 'label' in machine learning parlance) and one ...

, based on third quarter 2010 data from the

Bureau of Transportation Statistics The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), part of the United States Department of Transportation, is a government office that compiles, analyzes, and publishes information on the nation's transportation systems across various modes; and str ...

, considered factors such as market size and average distance to destination. Fares at other Michigan airports were overpriced to a lesser extent: MBS airport by $114, Detroit Metro by $25, and Grand Rapids by $9; Flint airport was underpriced by $42. Kalamazoo airport fares were overpriced by $187.Silver, Nate
Which Airports Have the Most Unfair Fares?
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', ''The New York Times'', April 6, 2011. Retrieved August 25, 2011 Airports included are within or a 100-minute drive of LAN. ''Source:'' ''Airline Origin & Destination Survey'', Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology,

Cargo

Cargo tenants at Capital Region International Airport moved of cargo in 2019. *

Martinaire Martinaire Aviation, L.L.C. is an American cargo airline based on the grounds of Addison Airport in Addison, Texas, USA, near Dallas.UPS Airlines UPS Airlines is a major American cargo airline based in Louisville, Kentucky. The second-largest cargo airline worldwide ( in terms of freight volume flown), UPS Airlines flies to 815 destinations worldwide. A wholly owned subsidiary of UPS (Unit ...

is a worldwide cargo carrier owned by

United Parcel Service United Parcel Service (UPS, stylized as ups) is an American multinational shipping & receiving and supply chain management company founded in 1907. Originally known as the American Messenger Company specializing in telegraphs, UPS has grown t ...

. The majority of cargo flights are on Airbus A300F4-600 and

Boeing 767-300F The Boeing 767 is an American wide-body aircraft developed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The aircraft was launched as the 7X7 program on July 14, 1978, the prototype first flew on September 26, 1981, and it was certified on ...

aircraft. * Superior Aviation provided aircraft sales, maintenance, IFR certifications, flight training, and 24-hour air charter services.

Cargo statistics

The peak year for total cargo activity at Capital Region International Airport was in 2007 with of cargo.

General and corporate aviation

Capital Region International Airport is served by two

s. *AvFlight provides charter, cargo, and freight services as well as aircraft maintenance. They operate a 24-hour facility at the airport with satellite weather, deicing, and fuel services. *Beacon Aviation offers aircraft maintenance, inspections, and avionics certification, services, and autopilot installations.General & Corporate Aviation
FlyLansing.com. Retrieved July 5, 2012 In addition to nearby Mason Jewett Field (TEW) located southeast, other local

airports include University Airpark (41G) northeast in Bath Township and

Abrams Municipal Airport Abrams Municipal Airport is a city-owned, public-use airport located two nautical miles (3.7 km) north of the central business district of Grand Ledge, a city in Eaton County, Michigan, United States. It is included in the Federal Aviati ...

(4D0) west in Watertown Township.

Ground transportation

* Lansing's airport is accessible by road from

Grand River Avenue Grand may refer to: People with the name * Grand (surname) * Grand L. Bush (born 1955), American actor * Grand Mixer DXT, American turntablist * Grand Puba (born 1966), American rapper Places * Grand, Oklahoma * Grand, Vosges, village and c ...

to the south (main entrance), Airport Road from the west, and DeWitt Road from the east. The airport is close to freeways

(exits 84, 85), I-96 (exit 90), I-496 (exit 3), and

U.S. Highway 127 U.S. Route 127 (US 127) is a north–south U.S. Highway in the eastern half of the United States. The southern terminus of the route is at US 27 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The northern terminus is at Interstate 75 (I-75) near ...

(exit 82B). From downtown Lansing, traffic can follow Business Loop I-96 to the airport. * Capital Area Transportation Authority (CATA) Bus Route 14 runs between the airport and downtown Lansing. To get to East Lansing or the

campus, riders may transfer from the Lansing downtown end of Route 14 onto Route 1, Route 4, or Route 15.CATA Schedules & Route Maps
, Capital Area Transportation Authority, CATA.org. Retrieved July 5, 2012 * A

CSX Transportation CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Class I freight railroad operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The railroad operates approximately 21,000 route miles () of track. ...

rail line is located at the south end of the airport. The railroad runs from

to Detroit. * Short term and long term parking are available at lots close to the terminal building, as well as several

car rental A car rental, hire car or car hire agency is a company that rents automobiles for short periods of time to the public, generally ranging from a few hours to a few weeks. It is often organized with numerous local branches (which allow a user to ...

agencies and

taxi A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choic ...

services.Ground Transportation
FlyLansing.com. Retrieved July 5, 2012

Incidents and accidents

*On July 17, 1985, a single-engine plane, piloted by a passenger, landed at the airport after the pilot suffered a fatal heart attack. The plane, which departed from

Flint Flint, occasionally flintstone, is a sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as the variety of chert that occurs in chalk or marly limestone. Flint was widely used historically to make stone tools and start ...

, incurred a damaged

nose A nose is a protuberance in vertebrates that houses the nostrils, or nares, which receive and expel air for respiration alongside the mouth. Behind the nose are the olfactory mucosa and the sinuses. Behind the nasal cavity, air next passe ...

and blown tire upon landing. The pilot of a nearby plane flew alongside and guided the troubled aircraft to the airport.Associated Press
Onlookers Cheer Passenger's Effort in Landing Aircraft
''Owosso Argus-Press'', Google News, July 18, 1985 *In February 1988, Kenneth Hasson, of Los Angeles, was arrested for bringing of

cocaine Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South Am ...

, worth $11 million, through the airport. Hasson and an accomplice were sentenced to life terms in prison.Michigan High Court Taking Up Challenge to 'Drug Lifer' Law
''

Toledo Blade ''The Blade'', also known as the ''Toledo Blade'', is a newspaper in Toledo, Ohio published daily online and printed Thursday and Sunday by Block Communications. The newspaper was first published on December 19, 1835. Overview The first issue ...

'', Google News, May 10, 1992 *On May 20, 1990, a Piper PA-28-181 crashed in East Lansing on approach to the Lansing airport, fatally wounding the pilot. The single-engine plane, en route from Mason, encountered instrument problems and cloudy conditions.Brief of Accident

National Transportation Safety Board The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and inci ...

, NTSB.gov, December 8, 1992. Retrieved June 3, 2011 *On February 11, 1991, a Glasair 3 two-passenger plane skidded off a runway into a field after experiencing problems with the landing gear. The plane caught fire; however, the pilot and passenger were not injured.Associated Press
No One Injured in Small Plane Crash
'' Ludington Daily News'', Google News, February 12, 1991 *On August 23, 1991, about 250 hamsters and gerbils shipped from

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

chewed through packing boxes, escaped, and scattered throughout Lansing's airport.Associated Press
250 Gerbils Escape, Scatter at Airport
''

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette The ''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'', also known simply as the PG, is the largest newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Descended from the ''Pittsburgh Gazette'', established in 1786 as the first newspaper published west of the Alle ...

'', Google News, August 24, 1991 *On September 27, 1993, a Midwest Flying Service

Aero Commander Aero Commander was an aircraft manufacturer formed in 1944. In subsequent years, it became a subsidiary of Rockwell International and Gulfstream Aerospace. The company ceased aircraft production in 1986. History Aero was formed in Culver City, C ...

690A twin-engine turbo prop crashed near Lansing en route to

Battle Creek Battle Creek is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan, in northwest Calhoun County, at the confluence of the Kalamazoo and Battle Creek rivers. It is the principal city of the Battle Creek, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which e ...

shortly after takeoff. The plane was experiencing electrical problems and reportedly changed direction and altitude continually before colliding with trees. The crew of two was killed.Factual Report Aviation
National Transportation Safety Board, NTSB.gov, August 4, 1994 *On June 6, 1996,

Continental Express Continental Express was the operating brand name used by a number of independently owned regional airlines providing commuter airliner and regional jet feeder service under agreement with Continental Airlines. In 2012 at the time of the merger ...

flight 3123 from

sustained minor damage from a small cockpit fire en route to Lansing. The

Beech 1900 The Beechcraft 1900 is a 19-passenger, pressurized twin-engine turboprop regional airliner manufactured by Beechcraft. It is also used as a freight aircraft and corporate transport, and by several governmental and military organizations. With c ...

aircraft landed safely in Lansing with no injuries to the two crew and 16 passengers.Factual Report Aviation
National Transportation Safety Board, NTSB.gov, February 6, 1997 *On November 24, 2004,

Flight 1933 from

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...

slid off the runway into a field. The flight had been delayed due to inclement weather. No injuries were reported.LaFave, Nick
Plane Skids Off Runway at Capital City Airport
, WILX.com, November 25, 2004 *On July 22, 2007, Northwest Flight 619 to

had to return to Lansing after takeoff due to smoke appearing in the cockpit. No injuries were reported.Aspiras, Jessica
Airplane Forced to Return to Airport
WILX.com, July 23, 2007 *On April 18, 2008, a

Beech Beech (''Fagus'') is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia, and North America. Recent classifications recognize 10 to 13 species in two distinct subgenera, ''Engleriana'' and ''Fagus''. The ''Engl ...

twin-engine airplane flying from

Tomahawk, Wisconsin Tomahawk is a city in Lincoln County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 3,346 at the 2010 census. The city is located to the northeast of the Town of Tomahawk and is not contiguous with it. History Before 1837, the land where Tomah ...

, sustained heavy damage when its landing gear retracted while landing. No serious injuries to the pilot and passenger were reported.Factual Data Collection Report of Accident
National Transportation Safety Board, NTSB.gov, May 15, 2008 *On July 5, 2009, a

Cessna Cessna () is an American brand of general aviation aircraft owned by Textron Aviation since 2014, headquartered in Wichita, Kansas. Originally, it was a brand of the Cessna Aircraft Company, an American general aviation aircraft manufacturing ...

single-engine airplane made an emergency landing after circling the airport for 45 minutes due to faulty

landing gear Landing gear is the undercarriage of an aircraft or spacecraft that is used for takeoff or landing. For aircraft it is generally needed for both. It was also formerly called ''alighting gear'' by some manufacturers, such as the Glenn L. Mart ...

. The plane was damaged; the pilot and two passengers were not injured.Teasley, Tiffany
Single Engine Plane Makes Emergency Landing At Local Airport
WILX.com, July 5, 2009 *On February 14, 2010,

Delta Connection Delta Connection is a regional airline brand name for Delta Air Lines, under which a number of individually owned regional airlines primarily operate short- and medium-haul routes. Mainline major air carriers often use regional airlines to ope ...

flight 3679 with 35 passengers returned to the airport terminal after a passenger became unruly and tried to exit the plane while taxiing prior to takeoff. The

, en route to Detroit, was delayed for three hours. The passenger was detained by airport police and

Federal Bureau of Investigation The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice ...

agents.Kim, Katie
Man Helps Restrain Panicked Passenger on Delta Flight
WILX.com, February 15, 2010. Retrieved February 16, 2010 *On June 10, 2010, a

(TSA) official noticed a deceased person in a vehicle parked in the airport's long term parking lot. The driver, a victim of a suicide, parked the vehicle on February 25 and was not in plain view.Police ID Woman in Suicide at Capital Region International Airport
''Lansing State Journal'', lsj.com, June 18, 2010. Retrieved June 18, 2010 *On November 27, 2012, a Cessna 177RG lost power during takeoff on runway 10R/28L. The plane made an emergency glide landing on the west end of the runway, closing the runway for one hour and canceling a Delta Connection flight from Detroit. The pilot and two passengers were hospitalized with back pain.Emergency Landing at Capital Region International Airport
WILX.com, November 28, 2012. Retrieved November 29, 2012Pilot makes emergency landing at Lansing airport
''Lansing State Journal'', lsj.com, November 28, 2012. Retrieved November 29, 2012 *On October 3, 2019, five people were killed and one was critically injured when a small plane crash landed at the airport. *On August 24, 2021, a single-engine

Cirrus Vision SF50 The Cirrus Vision SF50, also known as the Vision Jet, is a single-engine very light jet designed and produced by Cirrus Aircraft of Duluth, Minnesota, United States. After receiving deposits starting in 2006, Cirrus unveiled an aircraft mock ...

crashed near the airport and was engulfed in flames. All four passengers escaped with no injuries. The incident is currently under investigation.

Photo gallery

Image:Lansing_Capital_Region_International_Airport_Entrance_Sign.jpg, Capital Region International Airport entrance sign from Grand River Ave. Image:Lansing_Capital_Region_International_Airport_Arrival_Departure_Sign.jpg, Arrival, Departure, and Port of Entry sign along Capital City Blvd. Image:Lansing Capital Region International Airport Terminal.jpg, Airport terminal and control tower from Aviation Tech Drive Image:Lansing Capital Region International Airport Hangars Terminal.jpg, Airport hangars and terminal from Grand River Ave. Image:Lansing Capital Region International Airport Terminal Entrance.jpg, Ticketing/Departures terminal entrance Image:Lansing Capital Region International Airport Terminal Airline Ticketing.jpg, Airline ticketing area in terminal Image:Lansing Capital Region International Airport Terminal Baggage Claim.jpg, Baggage claim area in terminal Image:Lansing Capital Region International Airport Runway 6-24 - May 2011.jpg, Runway 06/24 from Grand River Ave. facing northeast

References

;Notes :2. The first airfield (1919) was bounded by South Everett Drive to the west, West Kalamazoo Street to the north, South Jenison Avenue to the east, and West St Joseph Street to the south, near present-day

J. W. Sexton High School J. W. Sexton High School is a public school located on the western edge of Lansing, Michigan, United States, in the Lansing School District. The principal is currently Daniel Boggan. The Sexton J-Dubbs are members of the Capital Area Activiti ...

. The second (1920) was bounded by South Cedar Street to the west, East Holmes Road to the north, South Pennsylvania Avenue to the east, and West Cavanaugh Road to the south. ;Footnotes ;Bibliography * * * * * * * * * *

External links

* * *
Capital Region Airport AuthorityMid-Michigan Business Travel Coalition

at city-data.com * at

Michigan DOT The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is a constitutional government principal department of the US state of Michigan. The primary purpose of MDOT is to maintain the Michigan State Trunkline Highway System which includes all Interst ...

Airport Directory * * * * **OpenNa
airspace and charts for KLAN
{{Central Michigan 1928 establishments in Michigan Airports established in 1928 Airports in Michigan Buildings and structures in Clinton County, Michigan Buildings and structures in Lansing, Michigan Economy of Lansing, Michigan Historic American Engineering Record in Michigan Transportation in Clinton County, Michigan Transportation in Ingham County, Michigan Transportation in Lansing, Michigan Foreign trade zones of the United States

History

Early 1900s

1950s–1970s

1980s–1990s

2000s

Flight reductions

Low-cost airlines

International flights

Facility upgrades and closures

2010s

Domestic flights

International flights

Facility upgrades

2020s

Current and future development

Master Plan

Port Lansing

Facilities and operations

Terminal

Aeronautics

Runways

Parking

Aircraft operations

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

Passenger statistics

Competition

Cargo

Cargo statistics

General and corporate aviation

Ground transportation

Incidents and accidents

Photo gallery

See also

References

External links